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HillCrest Vineyard

Located in the Umpqua Valley, this vineyard, the site of the first plantings of Pinot Noir in Oregon in 1961, was founded by Richard Sommer. It is Oregon's oldest estate winery (bonded winery #44). Sommer released Oregon's first Pinot Noir in the 1967 vintage.

Dyson DeMara took over HillCrest Vineyard from Sommer in 2003. Today the winery produces 1,400 cases of wine available for tasting and purchasing in the winery's tasting room only.

Reviewed Wines

2009 HillCrest Vineyard Memorial Estate Umpqua Valley Pinot Noir

(unlabeled, inquire about availability). From old, non-irrigated, lowyielding
vines.
·Medium reddish-purple color in the glass. A very
distinctive wine with appealing aromas of black cherries, spice,
sarsaparilla, chocolate mint, and smoke. Striking fruit core of ripe dark
cherries, black raspberries, cherry cola, dark chocolate, spearmint,
spice and sassafras with good tannin support and a generous fruit-filled
finish. Definitely speaks of place and is nothing like any Pinot Noir from the
Willamette Valley or anywhere else in Oregon for that matter. Drink or hold.Reviewed January 19, 2013ARTICLE&nbsp»